The face mask of a modern football helmet is connected to the helmet with strong, pliable plastic straps and connectors. The helmet, itself, represents a marvel of modern safety engineering, with every precaution taken to reduce the probability of injury to the wearer of the football helmet.
However, it occasionally occurs that a football player, wearer of a modern football helmet, falls or is knocked to the ground and is unconscious or otherwise in need of artificial respiration. In such event it is necessary to quickly remove the face mask of the helmet, as removal of the helmet may assert strains on the fallen football player which can cause or exacerbate a cervical strain with attendant discomfort and dangers to the football player.
At present it is known to use a knife to sever the plastic straps or connectors between the face mask and the football helmet. It is also known to use a screwdriver to unfasten the plastic straps or connectors connecting the face mask to the football helmet.
Both of the above-described methods of disconnecting the face mask from a football helmet are unsatisfactory in the emergency situation of a fallen football player needing artificial respiration.
Using a knife to sever the plastic straps or connectors often results in tedious, time consuming sawing motions being applied to the tough plastic straps or connectors with the knife. Such sawing motions translate through the plastic straps or connectors to the helmet itself, thereby causing unnecessary and possibly dangerous movement of the helmet and head of the fallen football player.
Using a screwdriver to unfasten the plastic straps or connectors connecting the face mask to the football helmet is usually ineffectual as a result of the rust and/or corrosion built up on the fasteners connecting the plastic straps or connectors to the football helmet.
No known hand-held, battery-operated rotary saw is known to be available. Such device is the instant invention.